Hospital care for cancer patients has suffered problems due to the health emergency
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The Covid pandemic – 19 has led us to a unprecedented health contingency that has changed our Lifestyle. This contingency has important consequences, but as indicated by Take Care Plus , others are not so pronounced.
For example, not much is said about how the current pandemic will raise the risk of death from Cancer, something that is related to factors that we will mention below.
Hospital care for cancer patients
The impact of Covid – 19 in the hospital system is not only manifested in the care of health centers on patients, the shortage of resources and the burnout of doctors, but also in the organization of hospital services .
Due rearrange attention to p oncological patients to reduce risk of contagion , this due to its status as a vulnerable population against the virus. For this, telemedicine has been given priority over the face-to-face modality.
In cases where telemedicine is not possible, patterns with fewer hospital visits . Although this has had positive effects, it has also left negative repercussions, such as the delay of diagnostic and evaluative tests .
The importance of diagnostic and evaluative tests is that they allow surveillance constant disease. If she is interrupted, even for a short time, cancer can develop freely , which is risky for the patient.
Delay in surgical interventions
There have been cases in which the surgical operations of cancer patients have had to be postponed to give priority to patients infected with Covid – 19 , which has increased the risk of death linked to some of the manifestations of cancer.
These delays they represent an impact on the prognosis of each patient, especially in those with aggressive tumors. According to an English study , a modest delay can mean up to a reduction of the 30% in 6-month survival .
This reduction is not as pronounced in cases with less aggressive tumors , but anyway an advance in tumor formation develops that complicates the patient’s chances.
Access to cancer treatments
Patients already diagnosed, in principle, they would not have complications of access to the corresponding treatments given that the Medical Oncology services remain functional , even in times of greatest hospital collapse.
However, patients Undiagnosed do have access problems because their lack of diagnosis prevents them from being referred to the corresponding medical units , which delays the start of treatment for the disease .
Patients at risk of dying from cancer should take extra precautions whenever they are within their means . In this way, they can avoid suffering a mishap or complication in this complex context for health centers.
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